Distribution of rock, metals, and ices in Callisto

Science. 1998 Jun 5;280(5369):1573-6. doi: 10.1126/science.280.5369.1573.

Abstract

Radio Doppler data from a single encounter (C3) of the Galileo spacecraft with Callisto, the outermost Galilean moon of Jupiter, indicated that Callisto was probably undifferentiated. Now, similar data from a second encounter (C9) corroborate this conclusion, but more accurate data from a third encounter (C10) indicate that the rock and ice within Callisto have partially, but not completely, separated. Callisto may be differentiated into a rock-metal core less than 25 percent of Callisto's radius, an outer layer of clean ice less than 350 km thick, and a middle layer of mixed rock and ice. Models in which ice and rock are mixed all the way to the center of Callisto are also consistent with the data.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Ferrous Compounds
  • Geologic Sediments
  • Gravitation
  • Hot Temperature
  • Ice*
  • Iron
  • Jupiter*
  • Metals*

Substances

  • Ferrous Compounds
  • Ice
  • Metals
  • Iron
  • ferrous sulfide